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player ready...Grayslake Central senior Ella Tews doesn’t view her height as a disadvantage.
Despite her 5-foot-8 frame, Tews still can be a dominant force at middle hitter.
The formula for her success: athletic ability, heart and a positive attitude.
“Our motto this season is ‘Staying positive,'” Tews said. “When things don’t go well for us, we don’t get down on each other, but we try to pick each other up.”
That positivity has shined late in the season for Grayslake Central (24-10, 6-1), which will take an eight-match winning streak into the Class 3A playoffs next week. The Rams, seeded fifth in the Vernon Hills Sectional, will play 12th-seeded Amundsen in a Grayslake Central Regional semifinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Tews had three kills and two blocks on Tuesday as the Rams wrapped up the regular season with a 25-11, 25-20 win against Wauconda to finish on top of the Northern Lake County Conference. It’s their second consecutive title.
“It means so much to us, especially the seniors, because it shows we have been pretty consistent over the last two years,” Tews said. “We have a lot of different-age players on this team, but our coaches have got us working so well together so that it doesn’t matter what year in school the player is.”
Grayslake Central coach Arian Colton is not surprised the team is playing its best at the end of the season. The Rams’ late surge includes a championship at Wheeling’s tournament last weekend.
“It took a little while, but the team has bought into our system, and we are reaping the rewards now,” Colton said. “They have made so many great strides this season. It’s so good to see that they are playing at their best at the end of the season.”
While Tews has been the Rams’ top hitter and blocker this season, they have plenty of offensive weapons for senior setter Madelyn Monahan. They include seniors Charley Topp and Karolina Pintinas and sophomores Danielle Eckenstahler and Katelyn Marcelain.
“We use a lot of players, and it seems that I run out of subs just about every match,” Colton said. “We try to use all of the girls’ abilities to help us be a better team.”
Tews doesn’t mind going up against taller players at the net.
“It might seem like it’s really hard going up against players 6 foot or taller, but I try to use my strengths to get the best of them in other ways,” she said. “It is a challenge sometimes.”
Among the many reasons Tews has success at the net is her leaping ability.
“Ella is such a good athlete, so she can make up for some deficiencies with that strong athletic ability,” Colton said.
Colton also applauds Tews’ intangibles.
“Ella has just been central to our program in so many ways,” Colton said. “When she walks into the gym for practice, she just lights up everyone with her great attitude. I can’t tell you how important she has been to this team on and off the court.”
But Grayslake Central’s next loss will be Tews’ final match in her seven years of competitive volleyball.
“I want to go to a large school, so this is it for me with volleyball,” she said. “That’s why it is so important to me and the other seniors on this team to be playing well once the playoffs start. We want to keep this going as long as we can.”
Darren Day is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
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